Having served on the INA Board of Directors for 10 years, and now as the current INA Board of Directors Nominating Committee chair, I understand the importance of serving on the board of directors and what the INA board does for our membership, organization and industry.Each year the nominating committee strives to bring the membership a ballot of nominees who will serve the organization to its fullest and meet or exceed the qualifications required to be eligible to serve on the board of directors.Once the nominees are accepted, a voting ballot is presented to the INA membership to cast their votes. Each year, a minimum number of votes are required from the membership to qualify each election. Each year it is a struggle to secure those votes.As committee chair, it is my goal to answer some common questions and dispel some myths about the nomination process, as well as to encourage each member to cast their vote when the ballot comes out on Wednesday.

Who qualifies as a board of director’s nominee?

Any individual, standard or supporting member of INA can serve on the INA Board of Directors. Independent supporters are not eligible to serve. Staff members of an agency member are also not eligible to serve, unless they hold their own membership. While it is not necessary, it is strongly recommended that nominees have attended at minimum one conference, and have been involved in an INA committee. Members can nominate themselves, or individual names can be given to the committee and they will be contacted to see if they are interested in serving on the board.

What is the nomination process?

Potential nominees fill out the official board of directors’ nomination packet. Each nominee is asked a series of questions based on their INA involvement, skills they may bring to the board, prior board experience, and what contribution they will bring to the association. Nominees also provide references, only one of which can be an INA member. The nominating committee then interviews each applicant and their references and makes the final determinations as to which candidates will appear on the ballot.

As former board members, the nominating committee knows the qualities one must have to serve on the board successfully, and the committee presents a slate to the membership that it feels meets the needs of the organization. We have declined applications from nominees for lack of experience and lack of knowledge of the association.

Why should you vote?

Voting is your right and privilege. Voting gives members the opportunity to select who you want representing you as an organization. From the candidates presented, members can select all or just the ones you wish to have your vote count for. If a nominee does not get the minimum number of votes required (50), they are not eligible to serve on the board. So just being on the ballot does not ensure they will be elected and serve the association. For this reason INA requests that all members vote.

Not familiar with the nominees?

We are limited by space in the information we can provide you with on each nominee. We strive to bring you the most important facts about each nominee, but if you wish to know more about a nominee, we encourage you to contact that nominee directly with your questions.

Is the board made up of different types of members, or is it predominantly nannies or agencies?

The current board has very balanced representation. The co-presidents of INA are Kathy Webb, a business owner with 25+ years’ experience, and Cortney Gibson, an NCS for over 17 years, and business owner for 10 years. There are also three other nannies serving on the board, one newborn care specialist, one international member, one educator, four agency owners, and one industry service partner. So of 11 current board positions, all are business owners, five are held by caregivers.

So once elected, what does the INA Board of Directors do for the association?

The INA Board of Directors serves the association and its membership. Some of their recent actions include: restructuring the INA Basic Skills Exam and Nanny Credential Exam; coordinating our first ever International Conference; approving the nanny.org website restructuring; creating a clearinghouse of information and resources for nannies, employers and the public to learn from; approving the Job Board on nanny.org; and much, much more.

I hope this answers some concerns you may have about the upcoming election, and will allow you to take a few moments to cast your vote for the 2015-2017 INA Board of Directors. Voting will begin in January 2015.

The 2015 – 2017 INA Board of Directors will be sworn in during the 30th Annual INA Conference, April 23 – 26, 2015 in Cancun, Mexico.

Making good food fun is a great way to entice children to taste new foods they may otherwise snarl their little button noses at upon introduction. My little guy is a fantastic eater! There isn’t much I would change about his eating habits other than the fact that he strongly feels that using utensils slows his roll. We’re working on that!

Healthy eating has been a part of his life from day one. I made all of his baby food and when he became a toddler preparing finger foods for him was so easy because of the broad palette he had developed. Broccoli was his weakness. I know that sounds comical but it’s true. Chocolate is my weakness. Broccoli is his. While grocery shopping he would sometimes cry when he saw me put broccoli in the cart. He wanted to eat it immediately. “Go home. Eat broc” he would cry. As his verbal skills improved he would tell anyone who would listen “DaDa sewgen (surgeon). Mama torney (attorney). NanNan (<—that’s me!) broc cook” His parents have apologized to me for that but I carry that title proudly. You see he LOVED broccoli and he viewed me as the person who provided him with that green goodness.

Now that he’s 3 we have FUN with food in different ways. Each morning he tells me what he wants his “happy breakfast” to be. “I want a tractor breakfast NanNan.” “Can you make a tower to eat?” “I want to eat a rainbow today”. We’ve all see the variety of fun foods for kids on Pinterest. These are well planned and carefully selected foods to make just the right animal, pattern, or other elaborate creation. They’ve got nothing on NanNan! This boy is putting me on the spot! I have no idea what he is going to request for me to create or if we are going to have the foods in the colors, size, shape and texture I need to resurrect these masterpieces. Not only that, I’m also on a limited time frame to get him fed, groomed, and drive him to school. Creative juices must be flowing! It’s a good thing I start my caffeine intake before I arrive at work!

The following are some of the “happy breakfasts” I have prepared for my charge.

It was a sick day from school when he requested a rainbow. NanNan delivered and he’s my little pot of gold!

Your breakfast sir..A waffle is topped with blueberries, banana slices and raspberries. The royal treatment!

This was one of the easiest and prettiest breakfasts yet! Fill each little square of waffle with small fruit. It was a winner!

“I went on a hike. I want to eat a whole forest for breakfast.”Huh? What? Panic set in quickly! I must have forgotten my coffee that day.

The look on my face…

Amazing with the help of turkey sausage links, grapes, kale, cheese etc I was able to produce a forest.

Ummmm….Where’s the forest? I think he liked it!

One morning as I walked into work my charge was looking at a nursery rhyme book which sparked the Humpty Dumpty theme below.

Silly Man
“NanNan how about I eat a silly man today?”
Utilizing the plate as the face I used carrots for hair, boiled egg for the nose and ears, mini pancakes and grapes for eyes, and a juicy strawberry mouth.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa! Mini pancakes and banana slices for the tower. Raisins And yogurt covered raisins as the tourists.

The inspiration…

Curious George takes a peek at the “happy breakfast” of the day. Mini pancakes with blueberry eyes, corn nose, and grape lips.

Flowers for your day…Waffle, fresh mandarin oranges, and kale.

This was a success too!

Tracey Chipps, Professional Nanny

A special thank you to to INA member Tracey Chipps for sharing her phenomenal dedication and creativity with the greater INA audience.

We are sure you will agree, Tracey exemplifies the wonderful, engaged nanny caregivers that make the International Nanny Association so strong.

Please note: The information presented below is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice.

A nanny agency expends valuable resources in the creation and maintenance of a nanny agency’s web site, printed materials and proprietary forms. All too often a nanny agency’s original work – whether it be blog posts, web content or forms – is completely copied by another. Copying material is so easy on the Internet. The following is a quick primer to show you how to protect the content on your nanny agency’s web site and other printed materials.

The nanny agency’s primary protection lies in copyright safeguards. You can claim copyright protection from the moment the content is created. According to Copywrite.gov, a copyright is “a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of … Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.”

Material written by your agency staff within the scope of their regular employment is called a “work made for hire”. As such, the nanny agency owns rights to the work – not the person who created it.

Many nanny agencies hire freelance writers to create web content and blogs. When you contract for this work correctly, the author (freelancer) of the copyrighted work is not the owner – your nanny agency is. It is important in these relationships that your nanny agency secure its rights. If you don’t have an agreement specifically stating that your agency owns copyright rights to the work product, the writer probably owns it!

Often times a nanny agency will want to reproduce works owned by another on their website. Many think that attribution alone is sufficient – and it is not. Individual copyright owners will establish their own policy for acceptable use of their materials. The International Nanny Association allows members to electronically reproduce content of our Weekly Brief (blog) without specifically asking for permission so long as the member provides attribution (originally published by the International Nanny Association) with a link back to the original work and the INA copyright statement.

What steps do you take if your nanny agency’s copyright protected material is plagiarized?

You will first want to be certain that you actually own the material and were the first to produce it. The Internet Wayback Machine, a digital archive of webpages over time, is an excellent resource to prove your first use.

The first step should be a politely worded letter (email is fine, use deliver and read receipts) to the infringing party requesting that the copyrighted material be removed from their website. Point out the URL where your original content is located. You can almost always find site contact information online. This usually will do the trick.

The domain name directory WHOIS.com may be used to locate the owner’s name and phone number. When the original letter does not resolve the problem, contact the website owner directly to request immediate removal of the content.

The next escalation is to contact the website’s hosting company to inform them of their client’s copyright infringement. You will find hosting company information in the Whois directory. Make sure you include the URL where your original content is located. Most hosting companies will take the entire site down immediately until the owner removes the copyright protected material.

Your nanny agency may consider a formal “Cease and Desist” letter if the actions above do not resolve the situation. You can find examples online, or you may wish to have your agency’s attorney draft the formal letter. It is best to send these via registered mail.

A special thank you to INA-member HomeWork Solutions for providing this guidance. HomeWork Solutions offers both household payroll and household payroll tax compliance services to US families on a nationwide basis and has partnered with INA nanny agencies since 1993.

Do you have specialized knowledge, experience or resources that you want to share with your fellow INA members? We encourage you to submit original, informational articles to the INA to be considered for publication. Authors of selected articles will receive attribution in the post. Email your submissions to the INA Office.

INA member Louise Dunham, founder of the Australian nanny agency Placement Solutions, shares the actions her agency is taking to insure safe childcare. This is the second in a two part series.

Child abuse indicators

*The following is an extract from the Placement Solutions Child Protection Policy.

Signs that child abuse is or has occurred may vary, as children express their distress, worry, confusion or overwhelmed feelings and experiences in different ways. Further, children will often communicate how they are feeling through their behaviour, so parents and caregivers need to understand the reason behind any changes in a child’s behaviour or moods. Children may show confusion and distress through ‘acting out’ feelings and experiences, or may ‘switch off,’ appear vague, be disconnected, or unable to listen or concentrate.

The following non-exhaustive list of potential indicators of physical abuse that may surface through children’s behaviour and play, depending on the type of abuse experienced. (The full policy includes indicators of sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.)

Physical abuse:

An explanation of an injury that doesn’t make sense.

A child seems wary of particular adults.*

A child reacts quickly to any raised voice or signs of anger.

A child is always wanting to please or be affectionate with anyone or everyone.*

The child stays close to the person in the group who seems to be in charge or have the most power.*

Extremes of behaviour: aggressive or withdrawn.*

Wearing the wrong type of clothing for the weather, which may indicate they are hiding marks or other injuries.

* This denotes indicators which may surface irrespective of the type of abuse involved.

When looking for signs of child abuse it is important not to jump to conclusions too quickly. This list therefore needs to be carefully interpreted to avoid over- or under-reaction. There will usually be a few of these signs together. Some are easier to notice than others, and some are signs that can be relevant to all forms of abuse. It is important to check for a reasonable explanation for any physical or behavioural changes. Use your common sense and instincts along with your knowledge of the particular child. Think about what is reasonable to expect from children at different ages and developmental stages.

INA member Louise Dunham, founder of the Australian nanny agency Placement Solutions, shares the actions her agency is taking to insure safe childcare.

I have to admit to feeling quite proud on August 9, 2014 when we launched our new Child Protection Policy and accompanying booklet. We are, as far as I am aware, the first agency of our kind in Australia to document such a policy.

Our policy is certainly the first of its kind to be approved by Child Wise, one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit child sexual abuse prevention organizations. Over 40 people attended our launch and received policy training and child protection more broadly. However, this didn’t happen without a huge amount of work beforehand. We’ve been lucky to have a lawyer with experience in child protection working with us on the policy, and who is now working with the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Why did we need to go through all this?

In our view, there is simply not enough child protection provided by the current laws and regulations covering in-home childcare. For instance, Victorian law does not mandate nannies to report child abuse or the indicators of it. In contrast to most of the USA, where all child caregivers are mandated to report child abuse, in Victoria this ‘privilege’ is given only to select groups.

Our belief is that adults – parents, caregivers or otherwise – have a moral and ethical responsibility to keep children safe and protect them from harm including of course, physical or emotional abuse. We endeavour to always consider and act in ‘the best interests of the child,’ as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it is this principle that has driven, and formed the basis of, our policy.

Of course a policy isn’t much use unless it can be put into practice, so with this in mind we are providing training to all our staff and nannies in its implementation. What this means, first and foremost when it comes to child abuse, is knowing what to look for.

Child abuse is statistically broken up into four areas: sexual abuse, emotional abuse (including bullying), physical abuse and neglect. While sexual and physical abuse tends to get most of the media attention, emotional abuse and neglect can be equally serious. It goes without saying that many instances of abuse involve more than one of these.

In our training we learned some challenging statistics, including that 94 per cent of all abusers are men. However, when a woman perpetrates abuse, the situation tends to be serious. The vast majority (95 per cent) of abusers are known to and trusted by the child. And, while it may seem obvious, it is worth reminding that abusers don’t look different to anybody else.

Our policy document is comprehensive, outlining everything from child abuse indicators to legislative and legal requirements on those reporting abuse, and what to do, and not do, in response to an allegation. We include a step-by-step guide to reporting, as well as a code of conduct. This policy will be central to our operation henceforth. If you would like to learn more about our actions and policy document, please reach out to me directly.

You have made it this far! Your portfolio is almost complete! Hopefully you are feeling a little less stressed about the NOTY portfolio process. This is the big week for EDITING, EDITING and more EDITING. I cannot stress enough how important editing is to the application process. You have until now spent hours writing, rewriting and then editing these documents.

Many words have been written, erased, edited and spell checked. These words have been “seen” by you numerous times. Your brain might be completing sentences without even reading them on the paper or screen. This happens a lot with all the writing one does for the application process. There are probably things that have been missed, as you have been working on this for the past 5 weeks. This is where you want someone else that you trust is good at editing take a look at your paperwork.

Having others edit and review your portfolio is important as it could make or break your portfolio if you miss this small but important step of reviewing and editing. Ask them to have it back to you within a few days.

Now for something a little easier for most people. Your Photo Journal. This is not a requirement but can be a fun part of the application process. Everyone loves to look at pictures. You can’t go too crazy because this section is limited to 3 pages. Try to get a few pictures of you with your charges. You will need to make sure that you have written permission from the parents of any children in the pictures before you include them in your portfolio.

By this point in the process you should have in your possession:

All the letters from your former employers or others for the “Letters of Recommendation” section

A completed “Nomination Form” from the person that is nominating you along with the nominator essay questions.

A fully signed “Nominator’s Certification Form”

All of your edited documents listed above

Your photo journal (if you wish)

Make sure to review them and be sure they fit the limits on word counts and that everything is answered.

Nanny Interview and Job Search Tips

What people see and how we look gives others a first impression of us. How can what we wear impact how others treat us? Take a look at this Leave it to Beaver clip and the impression Dudley has on the Cleaver family. Each person forms preconceived ideas of Dudley based on what he is wearing.

On a daily basis, nannies of young children must be able to get on the floor and be active with young children. How we dress should not impede us from doing our duties with children. Our dress and accessories should never create a safety hazard for ourselves or the children in our care. Additionally, some practical sense should be observed when traveling with children, engaging in outdoor adventure activities and participating in messy play. As you work with children, your clothing should continue to cover body parts and absolutely limit overexposure. Ladies should avoid low cut shirts and pants. Gentlemen should avoid low cut or sagging pants. Jewelry that could be choking hazards should be left outside the child’s environment if possible. Most of the time closed toe shoes or shoes with a back are safer when actively engaged in outdoor activities.

Employers may have specific dress codes or suggestions when attending specific events outside the home. As with any profession, it is important to abide by the rules and policies set by employers and those in authority positions.

When going on a nanny interview with potential families or attending professional development trainings such as the INA Annual Conference, a professional business attire is typically the best course of action to demonstrate professionalism. Grooming should also be more than a passing thought. Be sure clothes are clean, free from stains, pressed and fit your body. Avoid clothing that is too tight and too revealing. Moderation is key.

Although no one wants to be judged on their appearances alone, what others see first does make an impression. So in addition to your appearance, your actions speak volumes about your professionalism, ethics and values. Parents want nannies to demonstrate high moral values and conduct themselves with dignity and integrity. They want the best caring for their children.

Everyone knows that little eyes are always watching us too. Young children pick up on what you say and do even when you might not think they are aware. Modeling appropriate behaviors both inside the home or eye shot of young children is a given. Did you know that even in your private life outside of work others are watching you? Yes, others are always watching. Like it or not nannies are held to a higher standard than many other professions. Since you care for and teach children, society views your actions to be fair game for others to critique. This may not seem fair that what you do in your off time is criticized. But, this is the reality.

Moving on from your appearance to your interactions with others, let’s examine some general tips on being a positive person and getting along with others:

Be more tolerant and less of a judge. Everyone has their quirky habits. What is “Normal” to you may not be “Normal” to me!

Respect differences! Sometimes it is best to stay quiet in situations and less is more.

It is best to model appropriate behaviors to children. They are watching you and taking cues from how you react to situations, speak to others, tone of speech and body language.

Don’t offer up your life story to a stranger in the elevator or spill all of your disappointments, tragedies and negative attitudes to anyone who is around especially employers.

When someone asks in passing, “How are you today?” they usually do not really want to know your every ache and pain.

Those sayings that Grandma used way back when — still apply! “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Try to listen to the other person’s perspective.

Write down compromises and post on refrigerator when trying to resolve conflicts.

If it is not yours, then don’t take it/use it/abuse it/ consume it/…

The main concern is how children interpret our actions andhow we model appropriate behaviors.

You may not be Mary Poppins flying in for your interview but try to set yourself apart from other nannies interviewing for a family. Focus on your positive attributes and sell yourself by providing examples of your work, an exit portfolio, written testimonials from past clients.

A special THANK YOU to INA member Angela Riggs for sharing these resources with the INA. Angela is the Director of the Early Childhood Education Department at Sullivan University on the Louisville, Kentucky campus and International Nanny Association member since 2000.

Angela serves on the INA Board of Directors and chairs the Education Committee.

Six years ago, in preparation for the celebration of INA’s 25th anniversary, the association launched the INA Service Award Pin program. Individuals who have been employed as a nanny, nanny educator or business owner (referral agency or industry service provider) for 5 or more years and are currently an INA member in good standing may apply for the INA Service Award Pin.The pin program is in its sixth year and we have honored over 70 individuals with Service Award Pins. When all the years of experience have been added up amongst our recipients, there is over 1000 years of experience in our industry. That’s a lot of families who have been impacted by quality in-home child care.The INA is 1000 members strong – we KNOW more than 70 members qualify for an INA Service Award Pin! Our 30th Annual Conference being held in Cancun. If you haven’t been to conference before, this is an opportunity BOTH to experience the magic of an INA conference AND receive recognition with an INA Service Award Pin.

Next year when we join together at conference to recognize and honor our own, I hope you will be one of the pin recipients. The application can be found on the INA Website http://nanny.org/annual-conference/ina-service-award-pin-program/ and the deadline is January 15, 2015. I urge you to fill out your application today so you don’t miss out on being honored for your contribution at the 2015 International Nanny Association Conference. If you have questions, please e-mail us at INAserviceawardpin@gmail.com.

True nanny background screening also must include careful, probing interviews, and thorough reference checks. INA and APNA agency members are experts at nanny screening.

So what do families need to do to carefully screen a nanny applicant?

Verify Applicant Identity: It is only logical to first confirm that the individual applicant is who she says she is. Government issued photo identification should be reviewed at the beginning of any nanny interview. This can be a drivers’ license, passport, or a state-issued identification card.

Gather a Comprehensive Work History: INA member Daryl Camarillo, Stanford Park Nannies, recommends that families “Verify and interview all previous employers (even non-childcare related) and do a thorough accounting for all gaps in work history.”

Interview Carefully: A common mistake families make is using the interview to determine if the nanny is agreeable to hours, pay and scope of duties. This is totally insufficient to find out if this candidate will be a quality nanny. A good rule of thumb is if the interviewer is talking more than the person being interviewed, you are not asking the right questions. Behavioral interviewing is the gold standard.INA member Marc Lenes, Wee Care Nanny Agency, states that “It is imperative to meet and get to know the potential nanny in person. Together you should go over a comprehensive employment application and zero in on gaps in work history, discuss previous jobs in detail and gauge responses to gently probing questions that will help with the vetting process.”Australia’s Placement Solutions’ Louise Dunham shares “Three techniques we use are 1) listen carefully for the pregnant pauses when questioning a referee ..the nervous schooled referees sometimes confess here; 2) asking an open ended question such as “Describe to me your typical day looking after a baby and a toddler” will soon show you whether they have actually spent a day doing that and whether they are proactive carers and 3) lastly a trick question ” under what circumstances would you smack a child?” The ONLY answer we want is ‘Never ‘.”

Sandra Costantino, Neighborhood Nannies, has more than 30 years experience matching nannies and families. She reports “So often we are told by our families about “gut reaction.” There is absolutely no substitute for that than in meeting a potential
candidate in person and looking into their eyes and understanding their body language and their answer to questions asked and their comments in general. A wealth of knowledge is transferred without even knowing it. You cannot get that ‘online‘.”

Verify References: HomeWork Solutions’ Kathleen Webb advises families to “Personally speak to all references. Verify how they know the applicant. Ask questions and wait for answers. Avoid giving verbal clues of agreement or disagreement.”Fake references are a real problem for families hiring a nanny. Experienced nanny agency staff are highly skilled at detecting references that are simply “off.” When checking a work reference, you may want to ask questions such as “When did she work for you?” or “Tell me about your children – how old were they?” You will be surprised how often the person coached to give the reference trips up on the fine details.When talking to a nanny’s references, experienced reference checkers often try to obtain a third party or ‘wild card’ reference. This would be someone else known by both the reference and the candidate whom you may use as an additional reference. Third party references are invaluable, as they have most likely not been cherry-picked by the candidate and have not been briefed on the reference check ahead of time.

Schedule a Second, Working Interview: Bring the candidate back at a time when you and the children are both present. Allow the applicant to observe your typical family rhythms, patterns, and interactions. After some orientation, step back and allow some time for the applicant to interact with the children independently (you observe). Of course you will pay the applicant for her time.

The International Nanny Association (INA) is dedicated to helping families find quality in-home childcare. The APNA is a regulated membership organization that establishes standards in the nanny and household staffing industry. Both organizations recognize that families are increasingly turning to online nanny recruiting venues when hiring. The INA and APNA feel strongly that the information above can assist a family to better screen their nanny job applicants. We further recommend that families who are not confident in their interview and screening skills, or simply do not have the time or talent to perform this thorough vetting, strongly consider engaging the services of a professional nanny referral agency. “Liking a nanny isn’t enough, we’d would argue your children deserve more,” advises Jami Denis, ABC Nannies.” Hiring a professional nanny agency to walk you through the screening, interviewing, hiring and employment process allows parents peace of mind when they need it most.” INA member agencies can be found in the online directory at Nanny.org.

2015 INA Conference Hotel Reservation Information

The much anticipated Hotel Reservation Information is here! A few things to be prepared for when making your reservation:

Patience! Please be patient through this process.

Read instructions CAREFULLY!

We recommend Email or Phone Bookings.

When on the website, please use a computer program to translate the page, if needed.

When booking online, note the hotel calendar begins on MONDAY.

If any concerns or issues, please contact the hotel directly. They have provided ALL this information and will be more than happy to assist you with your reservations.

BOOKING YOUR ROOM

To reserve your room, please follow these instructions and have the required information handy when making your reservation. Iberostar Cancun sets these reservation requirements. ALL inquiries regarding hotel reservations should be made to Martin Pech.

You will need a valid credit card and photo ID. You will be asked to provide one night stay deposit (wire transfer or credit card), plus a copy of your credit card (front/back) and copy of your driver’s license (front/back). You will also be asked to complete a credit card authorization form. Martin Pech will provide all forms needed and provide details where to send the copies.

You will need a valid credit card and photo ID. You will be asked to provide one night stay deposit (wire transfer or credit card), plus a copy of your credit card (front/back) and copy of your driver’s license (front/back). You will also be asked to complete a credit card authorization form. Martin Pech will provide all forms needed and provide details where to send the copies.